Saturday, May 31, 2008

A GROUP of landowners who had $5000 of their lease money deducted two weeks ago will close off the land where the main water catchment area for Labasa town is located.

Members of the mataqali Luvutu of Nasealevu Village said the decision was made after the Native Land Trust Board refused to refund their money.

Spokesman Solomone Tubou said they would close off the area next week.

The action will cause disruption to water supply to residents of Labasa.

Last week, NLTB north manager Joreti Dakuwaqa said they could not refund any money because they had to recover the overpayment of lease made to the landowners last year.

The landowners had given an ultimatum of 21 days for NLTB to refund the lease money or they would block the Nasealevu water catchment.

Mr Tubou said mataqali members did not receive a single cent from lease payment two weeks ago.

He said the NLTB deducted $5000 to recover an overpayment of $10,000 made to the clan last year.

Mr Tubou said it was not their fault and the NLTB should not have deducted the full amount and should have consulted them first.

"There are four mataqali in one yavusa in our village and one is extinct so last year, we received, for the first time payment allocated for the extinct mataqali.

"The four mataqali are Luvutu,Vatuwa, Nasealevu and Navuilagi which is extinct.

"The other three mataqali were allowed to receive the extinct mataqali lease payment of $46,000 a year which we received for the first time last year."

Mr Tubou said the three mataqali were to receive $16,000 each but when payment was made, mataqali Luvutu and Vatuwa received $26,000 while Nasealevu received $16,000.

"So two mataqali were overpaid by $10,000 in November and when our lease money arrived two weeks ago, the NLTB deducted the total sum of $5000 which is not fair as it was not our fault in the first place," Mr Tubou said.

Monday, May 26, 2008

A chief of Bau has questioned what real difference the Great Council of Chiefs and the Fijian administration have had on the lives of Fijian people.

Speaking at the Annual Pacific Co-operation Foundation in New Zealand, the Roko Tui Bau and former Vice-President Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi said much of the issue of vision and identity related to the ambivalence of Fijians about those concepts.

"In challenging Fijian institutions such as the Bose Levu Vakaturaga, the Methodist Church and the Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua Party, the military commander, Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama, has provided opportunities for reflection and soul searching.

"What real difference do the Bose Levu Vakaturaga (BLV) and the Fijian Administration (of which the BLV sits at the apex) make in the lives of ordinary Fijians," he asked

"Does the latter serve any purpose in view of the fact that the Government has responsibility for infrastructure and economic development?

"What place has the traditional system in the scheme of things?

"The Fijians themselves need to be heard on those issues."

Ratu Joni said Fijian leaders had a responsibility to listen and discern what it is they wanted.

"In what form do they wish their indigenousness (and all that attached to it) survive. My preoccupation has not been with the form and the hierarchy," he said.

"It is with the values of kinship, reciprocity and mutual respect that provide a bridge to the other communities. These are qualities that can be harnessed to enhance the vision we seek."

Ratu Joni said the stated aim of the interim regime to remove the electoral system was welcome.

"Because there is little argument that it has reinforced ethnic patterns of voting," he said.

"But the process has survived this long because all political parties were supportive of it. The concerns of some Fijians who resist any change because it would remove their ethnically entitled seats is understandable.

"But it is mistaken. The preponderance of Fijians in the population, coupled with Fijian-Indian emigration, will ensure Fijian numerical superiority in the next elections however boundaries are drawn.

"We no longer need those ethnically based seats from the Fijian point of view because their fears of being swamped no longer apply.

"However, the Fiji-Indian community may now be reconsidering the issue because under the present arrangement, they are guaranteed a certain number of seats.

"The concern now is the protection of minorities. Whether they are Fiji-Indian or from other communities, they must be guaranteed a voice in Parliament.

"The only system that assures that outcome is proportional representation."

Sunday, May 25, 2008

Naqara at about 6am before the shops open and business starts for the dayTAVEUNI is indeed an island with great potential, or to simplify the word potential, it's an island with loads of cash.

During my one week stay on my island home, young farmers in their mud-covered jeans and torn T-shirts were seen buying cell phones and other expensive material from hire purchase outlets or doing big time shopping in supermarkets at shopping centres on Taveuni.

Money earned for such big time shopping did not come from a week's work in an office, but from a few hours on a dalo farm, with the root crop packed and later sold at the local market.

Naqara which is the main shopping centre for the people of Taveuni, is a two-minute walk from Somosomo Village. It may not be called a town but it can get as busy as any town on Viti Levu.

Although shop owners may only get busy towards the weekend, taxi drivers are on their toes all the time with farmers hiring most of them for farm trips.

Taxi fare is not cheap on Taveuni but farmers afford the charges which could cost up to $40 one way or $80 return to Qeleni, $20 return to Wairiki, more then $100 return to Vuna, if your dalo or yaqona farm is there and $30 return trip to Soqulu.

But despite these high charges, taxi drivers interviewed say they are busy most days during the week.

Taxis on the island are mostly twin cabs trucks, four wheel drive vehicles and vans because of the condition of the roads.

For Mohammed Hussein, who moved from Suva two years ago to join his relatives at the Naqara settlement, his taxi business is thriving.

"I used to drive a taxi in Suva but getting jobs and earning good money was tough because there were a lot of other taxis in the city area and people also preferred to catch the bus as it was cheaper," Mr Hussein said.

"Since I moved to Taveuni, I have seen a big difference in the daily taxi earnings and farmers here have a lot of money."

He said in a day, he would take at least three trips to farms in the Qila and Matei areas or down towards Wairiki.

"And from those three trips, I can earn at least more then $100 a day apart from other short trips for other passengers," Mr Hussein said.

Farmers would leave for their dalo farms about 6am, uproot their crops according to the quantity they want and return to Naqara to sell at the market.

And with the cash received from that sale of dalo, they walk across to Court Homecentres or to Morris Hedstrom at Somosomo Village to do their shopping.

A visit to MH's newly constructed outlet saw groups of young farmers fill up trolleys to the brim with basic food items such as 10 or 25 kilograms of rice, sugar and flour, big bottles of mayonnaise, soya sauce, three to four packs of noodles, one or two buckets of biscuits, containers of ice cream, toiletries, and other expensive groceries that most people have tried to budget today because of the high prices.

After clearing their shopping at the counter, I followed two members of the group out of the supermarket and stood at the verandah to see which vehicle they would hire.

They headed towards a red Mitsubishi Pajero in the car park and loaded their shopping.

The two cousins, Petero Matai and Iosefo Batita, both in their mid 20s, are dalo and yaqona farmers who live up in Matei.

"Bula vina'a," they responded.

"You are not the first person to wonder why farmers in Taveuni have so much money but yes, dalo has enabled us to buy our family Pajero and do this kind of big shopping."

Petero, who completed his secondary education at Holy Cross College in Wairiki, six years ago said he had applied to study at the Fiji Institute of Technology to further his studies.

"I didn't get through so I just decided to stay home and help my family with the dalo and yaqona farm and I have not regretted that decision because farming has given us a lot of money.

"Maybe, if I had graduated then, I could still be searching for a job today but I still have plans to further my studies and that is why I am saving my fees from farming," Petero said.

Courts Homecentres Taveuni branch manager Uma Nand said when the price of dalo is high, the staff are always on their toes because farmers keep coming in to purchase items.

He said with the low price of dalo, most farmers now spend their cash buying cell phones.

"Last year the price of dalo was high and we were busy throughout and had good sales, but this year, the price has been low and although we are not so busy, the farmers have continued to come in and buy cell phones with cash upfront.

"Dalo farmers are our big time customers on the island of Taveuni and when the price is high, our staff are always busy. Christmas season is always our busy time," Mr Nand said.

For businesswoman Chandra Kumar who moved in from Nausori last year to run a supermarket at Naqara, sales have been better than her years of business on Viti levu.

"Before moving to this island, I used to be a wholesaler for many businesses on the island and they were my major market," she said.

"I used to get more orders and they buy in bulk from my wholesale business so when I moved here last year, I knew I was coming to operate a business in an area where high cash already existed.

"The cash flow on this island is very high and I have not regretted moving here to run my business."

Mrs Kumar said her ten wheeler trucks hired to take dalo to Suva can take 70 to 80 tonnes of dalo a week.

"Dalo has been the major source of income for Taveuni people and they earn more than what most office jobs pay.

"The people here don't bargain or ask for discount. Whatever price we put down, they buy without hesitation - that shows the kind of money they have," Mrs Kumar said.

According to reliable sources, financial institutions need to put more then $50,000 into ATMs on the island for the weekends for big spending farmers.

Great Council of Chiefs taskforce chairman Ratu Josateki Nawalowalo alleged that members of his provincial council had conspired to remove him from the province’s chairmanship position. Speaking to the Fiji Sun yesterday, Ratu Josateki said it was obvious that people within the Kadavu Provincial Council wanted him removed.“The thing is that there were people who wanted me out,” the Kadavu high chief said.“It was obvious that it was all planned and I was not surprised when I was voted out as chairman.”Ratu Josateki admitted that the people of Kadavu had wanted him out because of his connection with the interim government and this was one disadvantage he had to face when he was chairman. “The disadvantage is being misunderstood for the political stance that I took. I work with whatever government that is in power. Right now the interim government is in power and they’re going to call the shots and people don’t understand this.”He said the onus is now in the hands of the new appointees to prove that they can lead the council the way he had done for six years.“I feel sorry for them because now they will have to prove themselves,” Ratu Josateki said.“I hope they will and they must now think of themselves as the leader of the people and be responsible in their ways. Leaders go out to serve and not to be served. I have never asked for anything from the province. “I get peanuts out of my work when I was chairman but I was proud to lead because it was a traditional obligation.” Despite all this, Ratu Josateki said he is relieved that a responsibility had been taken away from him and he now concentrates on his work as the head of the GCC taskforce. “Now I’m no longer leading at the provincial level but I can now concentrate on my task at national level, it is probably the time for me to move on,” said Ratu Josateki.Under Ratu Josateki’s leadership, the province was able to construct the Kadavu House and he also was able to bail the province’s shipping vessel out its huge debt which saved chiefs from the province who had signed as its guarantor. Newly appointed council chairman Ratu Varani Rayawa said he was not sure that people had conspired against Ratu Josateki.“I can’t say much because I’m not sure what the people of Kadavu think about this but all I know that the people of Kadavu believes that it is time for change,” he added.

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Chiefly Household Attacks Kepa www.fijivillage.com - 23/05/2008 Rewa High chief Ro Teimumu Kepa has come under attack from some members of her chiefly household for her involvement in politics.

Her Sauturaga and Lomanikoro village elder Sekove Ravoka told Interim Prime Minister Commodore Frank Bainimarama and members of government delegation during their visit to Nadoi yesterday that Ro Teimumu Kepa is always focused on political ideas which is irrelevant to development issues which the ordinary people want.

Ravoka said he still remembers the words of the late Roko Tui Dreketi and Ro Teimumu Kepa's father that chiefs should not be involved in politics since their main responsibility is to look after the well being of the people, development and economic issues.

The Lomanikoro village elder also told the Interim Prime Minister that majority of provincial administrators are now listening to the Chairman of the provincial council which should not be the case.

Rewa High chief Ro Teimumu Kepa has come under attack from some members of her chiefly household for her involvement in politics.

Her Sauturaga and Lomanikoro village elder Sekove Ravoka told Interim Prime Minister Commodore Frank Bainimarama and members of government delegation during their visit to Nadoi yesterday that Ro Teimumu Kepa is always focused on political ideas which is irrelevant to development issues which the ordinary people want.

Ravoka said he still remembers the words of the late Roko Tui Dreketi and Ro Teimumu Kepa's father that chiefs should not be involved in politics since their main responsibility is to look after the well being of the people, development and economic issues.

The Lomanikoro village elder also told the Interim Prime Minister that majority of provincial administrators are now listening to the Chairman of the provincial council which should not be the case.

GCC off if chiefs don’t support 22 MAY 2008 - www.fijilive.com--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Great Council of Chiefs will not convene to appoint a Vice President if chiefs from the various provinces do not cooperate with the interim Government, Fiji’s interim Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama said today.

“If there is no quorum then the GCC is going to be cancelled,” he told Fijilive.

This after majority of the provinces consulted so far have rejected the People’s Charter process and the interim Government’s decision to restructure the GCC.

Bainimarama, who is also the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, said it’s time that he had a good look at all the 14 provinces.

Bainimarama said being a Government body, it is the provincial council’s role to cooperate and inform its chiefs about his administration’s initiatives.

“The provincial councils do not have the right to stop the (People’s) Charter process,” said Bainimarama.

“Their work is to create awareness and not to decide for the Government”.

Bainimarama said that his Cabinet has approved that each of the chief’s councils or ‘bose vanua’ of the provinces are to nominate three representatives each to the GCC.

The new-look GCC was scheduled to convene mid-year after consultation with the provinces.

Its first role was to appoint a deputy for aging President Ratu Josefa Iloilo.

Kadavu has rejected outright the Peoples Charter and have delayed a decision on the newlook Great Council of Chiefs.

Deputy Chairman of the Kadavu provincial Council relayed the decision after a meeting of traditional leaders at Samabula this morning.

He said the issue of the newlook GCC would await the outcome of a High Court legal challenge by suspended GCC members is completed.

Relaying the decision to the chiefs of Kadavu yesterday new Deputy Chairman Alikisadra Naisoro said in Kadavu the buck stopped with the chiefs.

Chiefs discuss new-look GCCThursday, May 22, 2008

THE 14 chiefs of Kadavu met yesterday to discuss their stand on whether or not to join the new-look Great Council of Chiefs.

Roko Tui Kadavu, Osipate Tuicakau confirmed that the chiefs would say their verdict to the GCC taskforce team today.

The chiefs meeting or the bose vanua which was to be held at yesterday afternoon at the Fijian Teachers Association boardroom in Knollys Street, Suva, was cancelled at the 11th hour.

The chiefs from the nine district of Kadavu did not disclose to the media their meeting venue by yesterday afternoon. The GCC taskforce team will be led by Ratu Josetaki Nawalowalo, the former Kadavu provincial chairman.

Ratu Josateki who was chairing the Kadavu provincial council for the last six years lost the chairmanship to his close relative, Ratu Varani Rayawa.

Ratu Josateki confirmed that they would present at Jubilee Hall today and the the council would also hear from the National Council for Building a Better Fiji officials.

Naisoro: Kadavu is least developedROBERT MATAUThursday, May 22, 2008

KADAVU contributes much to the economy yet it is the least developed province in Fiji.

These were the sentiments of Kadavu Provincial Council's new deputy chairman and Kadavu-based businessman Alikisadra Naisoro.

Mr Naisoro was appointed unopposed to the position of deputy chairman after he missed out on the position of chairman which went to Ratu Varani Raiyawa the Takalai Nakasaleka and outgoing deputy chairman.

Mr Naisoro, one of the largest yaqona farmers in his district of Ravitaki, said he wanted to concentrate his efforts as deputy chairman on developing the lives of people on the island.

"I will not take a political stand in this position and whichever Government comes in I will ask them to help in developing the island for our people," he said.

The former Rewa Rice chief executive and university graduate said he was happy to be appointed as deputy chairman.

He said he would have preferred that a chairman resided on Kadavu as that was where all the development efforts were being held and that he lived on the islands and would help to influence some important decisions.

"I am a Kadavu grog farmer currently I am the chairman of the Ravitaki Tikina Council.

"I will not take sides whichever government comes in and I will ask them to support development for our people."

He said it was important that the same officials who ran Government services on Kadavu were present at the meetings so they could effectively gauge the progress of development programmes on the island.

"In our meetings the norm is that issues sa kau cake (have been taken up) this meeting will be held in May and the next will be in December. The usual response we get in the follow up meetings would be sa kau cake so for eight months you mean to tell me se kau cake tikoga (we are still taking it up)."

Friday, May 16, 2008

by SERAFINA SILAITOGA

Friday, May 16, 2008

THE Tui Cakau, Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu has questioned where interim Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama's comment is coming from regarding his call for provincial councils to reconsider their stand on the People's Charter and the changes to the Great Council of Chiefs.

Ratu Naiqama said the decisions made by provincial councils represented the views of the Fijian people from grassroots level.

He said Fijians lived communally and the decisions made by the councils were the collective views of the people.

"As such, it is difficult to fully understand where Bainimarama is coming from in terms of trying to force issues to the people to accept what they put forward especially when we still have our freedom to accept or reject their proposals or issues.

"What the people want matters and whether they reject or accept is a decision by them and whatever decisions provincial councils have made is not made by the chiefs only but a collective decision of all Fijians at village meetings to district level and provincial level."

Ratu Naiqama said people's freedom was not at stake as the Constitution was still intact.

However, he said it would be hard to expect the interim regime to accept the decisions by the provincial councils because it was not an elected government.

"The regime was not voted by the people so it's hard to determine whether they will accept or respect out decisions made on their proposals."

He said it was important to understand the Fijian structure in order to get an idea of how decisions are made.

Meanwhile, Cakaudrove has rejected the People's Charter and Fiji's former High Commissioner to the UK, Emitai Boladuadua, is the new Cakaudrove provincial council chairman.

He replaces Sitiveni Rabuka who returned the post despite being nominated.

Mr Boladuadua said major development plans were included in his vision for the province.

THE Tui Cakau, Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu has questioned where interim Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama's comment is coming from regarding his call for provincial councils to reconsider their stand on the People's Charter and the changes to the Great Council of Chiefs.

Ratu Naiqama said the decisions made by provincial councils represented the views of the Fijian people from grassroots level.

He said Fijians lived communally and the decisions made by the councils were the collective views of the people.

"As such, it is difficult to fully understand where Bainimarama is coming from in terms of trying to force issues to the people to accept what they put forward especially when we still have our freedom to accept or reject their proposals or issues.

"What the people want matters and whether they reject or accept is a decision by them and whatever decisions provincial councils have made is not made by the chiefs only but a collective decision of all Fijians at village meetings to district level and provincial level."

Ratu Naiqama said people's freedom was not at stake as the Constitution was still intact.

However, he said it would be hard to expect the interim regime to accept the decisions by the provincial councils because it was not an elected government.

"The regime was not voted by the people so it's hard to determine whether they will accept or respect out decisions made on their proposals."

He said it was important to understand the Fijian structure in order to get an idea of how decisions are made.

Meanwhile, Cakaudrove has rejected the People's Charter and Fiji's former High Commissioner to the UK, Emitai Boladuadua, is the new Cakaudrove provincial council chairman.

He replaces Sitiveni Rabuka who returned the post despite being nominated.

Mr Boladuadua said major development plans were included in his vision for the province.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

The Tailevu Provincial Council has rejected the National Council for Building a Better Fiji and does not want to have any part in it.

As well, it has rejected the taskforce report on the reconstituted Great Council of Chiefs.

The decision was relayed to the NCBBF media team led by Bau chief Adi Finau Tabakaucoro today, after it made a presentation to the council.

The decision was in the form of a statement signed by another Bau chief Ratu Epenisa Cakobau and a spokesman for Tailevu chiefs – Ratu Veiwili Komaitai.

Journalists who are covering the meeting are not allowed inside the Ratu Cakobau House but Fijilive was reliably informed that the decision was reached last month on Bau during a Bose Vanua (chiefs’ meeting).

The same meeting decided to reject the report of the GCC task force team.

Tailevu has decided to retain its three representatives to the GCC - Ratu Epenisa, Ratu Timoci Vesikula and Ratu Semi Seruvakula.

No immediate comments could be obtained from the NCBBF or the GCC team after the presentations.

GCC task force chairman Ratu Josateki Nawalowalo could only say that the province was expected to discuss the issue further.

TEARS and solemn moments marked the opening of the Cakaudrove chiefs' meeting yesterday as chairman and former prime minister Sitiveni Rabuka asked their paramount chief Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu for forgiveness.

With tears flowing down his face, Mr Rabuka in a solemn and respectful tone asked Ratu Naiqama to forgive him and Roko Tui Cakaudrove Ravuso Wainiqolo for organising the provincial council meeting at Yaroi Village last year, which Ratu Naiqama did not want.

In presenting their soro, Mr Rabuka admitted that it was wrong of him and Mr Wainoqolo to organise the meeting and entertain the Great Council of Chiefs committee at Yaroi.

He said even after organising the events, he used to hear and read messages from Ratu Naiqama in the media over his disappointment.

This, Mr Rabuka said, did not scare him but made him determined and humbled to come forward and present a matanigasau for his wrong.

He told Ratu Naiqama that word from Valelevu which he heard in the media only spoke of how powerful and respected the Tui Cakau's position was and for any Cakaudrove person to hear such words, it meant that he was cared for by their high chief.

Mr Rabuka said this was what brought him forward yesterday to present his matanigasau.

In forgiving them, Ratu Naiqama told them they hurt him when they organised a meeting last year and said that such actions were not chiefly and something Cakaudrove was not known for.

Formalise law

SERAFINA SILAITOGA

www.fijitimes.com - Wednesday, May 14, 2008

The Tui Cakau, Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu, yesterday reminded the chiefs of Cakaudrove of the importance of gazetting their village laws to prevent disputes.

His comment came in response to a question from Tui Kama Ratu Seru Taqali, who queried the legality of village laws.

Ratu Seru said they had set a law in the village of Buca to discipline those who made unnecessary noises.

He told the meeting there were two categories of disciplinary measures for noise created by drunkards and and people behaving in a drunk and disorderly manner in the village.

Ratu Seru said people living in the village but not registered in the Vola ni Kawa Bula were warned thrice if caught making noise.

If they failed to adhere to the warnings, they would be told to move out of the village permanently, he said, adding they would not be allowed to return at any time.

For people registered in the VKB, Ratu Seru said if they failed to obey the three warnings, they would be told to move out of the province for five years.

Ratu Seru said this had been the practice in the village in past years but he wanted advice from the chiefs on the procedures to legalise the village law.

Former chairman Sitiveni Rabuka told the chiefs it was important for them to legalise village laws.

He said it was important because if the law was not accepted by the villager accused, he or she could sue village elders particularly when they had the right to live in their village of origin.

Ratu Naiqama urged the chiefs to form a draft of village laws in their respective districts and take it up to provincial level meetings so it could be submitted to higher authorities to enable legalisation of the village laws. Ratu Naiqama urged the chiefs to bury the past.